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Friday, November 20, 2015

A Note About the Red Cups

I'm sure by now everyone has heard about how "anti-Christmas" Starbucks is this year (as opposed to other years. We will get to that) because they are featuring simple red cups.

In the past, they had holiday/winter themed cups with pictures and sometimes cheesy sayings on them. Which were not specifically Christmas, by the way. Apparently these were a huge deal to some people. Which came as a complete surprise to this former Starbucks barista.

In the first place, Starbucks is a very "liberal" company. Did you know that? They do several different things to help the farmers who grow their crops, they organized volunteer projects in local communities, and they try to take care of their employees with all kinds of benefits. Want to know one thing they offer? Health insurance for same sex partners. Yep. Welcome to Starbucks.

I think Starbucks is, overall, a great company (even though I LOVE small, local owned coffee shops and I realize the two don't always co-exist very well...). It was the first job I worked that I felt valued as an employee.

And now there are all of these people in an uproar over cups. Of all things. Really? Christmas is ruined for you? Speaking of people who need more Christ in their lives.

First off, it's exceedingly selfish and also very hypocritical. I never heard any of these people complain about how Starbucks employees have to WORK ON CHRISTMAS. Apparently they don't care about that part, as long as they get their cups. I worked Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas every year that I was a Starbucks employee. And while I like to celebrate a little of Christmas and a little of Hannukah, there are not shortened days for Hannukah. I just feel like the Christians are already privilaged, but these particular "Christians" are so wrapped up in themselves that I doubt a Christmas cup would be enough to draw out their Christmas spirit anyway.

And those people should be ashamed of themselves.

Plus, it is people like this who give real Christians a bad name. Real Christians care more about, oh, I don't know, family, their fellow man, charity, the disasters occurring around the world, and the things they are supposed to care about.

An additional note: I cycled through several different holiday cups during my Starbucks career and I never, not once, heard someone say that the cups made their whole Christmas season. In fact, I heard way more ridicule about the pictures and especially the cheesy sayings than I ever heard compliments about them. I can't figure out where these people are coming from. But seriously, grow up.